Top 10: Crazy Construction Projects

Number 7

Millau Viaduct - Millau, France

The same man behind the construction of Beijing's new airport put his mark on France as well, designing what is now the world's tallest bridge. Spanning the Tarn River in southern France, the Millau Viaduct's seven pillars burst from the gorge below. At its highest, the bridge reaches 1,122 feet, which is 53 feet higher than the Eiffel Tower. The bridge is approximately 1.6 miles long.

The Viaduct took three and a half years to complete, is part of the A75 route that links northern Europe to the Mediterranean, and opened with much fanfare on December 14, 2004. It cost $523 million, used two billion tons of concrete and metal, and thankfully comes with a 120-year guarantee.

Trivia: The Millau Bridge is so large it can be seen from space.

Number 6

Freedom Tower - New York City

After considering several bids, the New York government agreed on a compromise between two world-renowned architects' plans to rebuild the World Trade Center site. Daniel Libeskind and David Childs designed Freedom Tower, a 1,776-foot skyscraper whose height commemorates the year of American independence.

Beginning construction on April 27, 2006, the immense structure will have 73 stories: the first 70 will be used for office space and the top three for restaurants and an observation deck. Estimated to cost $12 billion and to be completed by 2009, Freedom Tower and its 276-foot spire will surpass Taipei Tower, currently the world's tallest building.

Number 5

The World - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Truly a mind-boggling project, Nakheel Developments thought outside the box for its latest large-scale development in Dubai. Two and a half miles offshore from the booming Middle Eastern city is a slew of manmade islands that don't look like much yet, as construction only started in September 2003.

However, if you look down on the project from the sky when it's completed in 2008, you'll see a replica of the Earth laid out in the sea. Made of 300 islands of various sizes, the $3 billion project recreates the world map and offers business and residential buyers entire islands, which range from $6.85 million to $36 million. Malls, office buildings, mansions, and parks will adorn the islands, which will be 50 meters to 100 meters apart and will cover a total of 5.6 miles.

Trivia: Rod Stewart is apparently looking into purchasing the United Kingdom property for a cool $33.4 million.

Number 4

Hangzhou Bay Bridge - Cixi and Jiaxing, China

Most bridges cross rivers and lakes; there aren't too many that cross a whole sea. Hangzhou Bay Bridge is a 22.5-mile crossing that will connect the cities of Cixi and Jiaxing, in Zhejiang province in eastern China.

Connecting previously remote cities on China's economically-prosperous east coast, the six-lane S-shaped bridge will rank as the world's longest sea-crossing span. The cost of the bridge, set to be completed in 2008, topped $1.42 billion.

Trivia: The Hangzhou Bay Bridge is so long that the contractors built a service island in the middle, where commuters can stop for food and gas.

The world's tallest structure, a project in space, and the most mind-boggling construction feat ever...